Who Am I?

Yesterday as I climbed wearily into bed I heard myself say to Don, " I am just ready for Christmas to be over." WHAT? When did this psychomaniac take over my brain??? I loooovvvvvvvve Christmas! .....don't I? I have bought way too many presents this year, have a bunch of Christmas baking waiting still to go into gift baskets, have all the family get togethers planned out...Shouldn't I just be able to relax and do fun, happy Christmassy stuff? Bam! I think I just hit the nail on the head! I feel SO busy. Every minute of everyday has something filing it up. Except Christmas day. Undoubtably I will have to help with something on that day. I need a day to veg. I think I have the perfect time...our LOTR Boxing Day Marathon. aka-when christmas is OVER. Ugh. What a scrooge. I will have to think of things that make me happy about it. So-here comes my Saturday Seven of things I will be happy of on Christmas Day.

1.Not going to church ( No, I am not the devil, I just work for my church and it is proving to be quite taxing this christmas season...a day off will be nice).

2.Filling my parents stockings late, late Christmas Eve.(Ooooh, Sorry mom & dad, did I ruin it? Father Christmas isn't real!)

3.Washing dishes Christmas Day. (Mostly this just means I am happy to have a family who will spend the time talking, laughing, standing around & helping each other 'wash up' after christmas supper.)

4.Handing out all my presents Christmas afternoon. I really like that fact that as our family grows older, we place the emphasis on the giving part now. And I can't wait to see how people love ('cause I know they will love it) what I picked out/made especially for them. (Especially Kim. And Corrie. And my Mom. And Becky. Oooh! And my dad. And Kurt. Oh, yeah & Justins! Oh AND espeially Don(sneaky chuckle). Okay fine. Everyone.)

5.Usually at some point throughout the holidays we watch Little Woman. (The Winona Ryder one.) I really do love to watch it with my sisters and while it might not happen on Christmas Day, I'll be happy whenever it happens.

6.Christmas-morning-stocking-open-time. For the last like, 10 years we all sit along the stairs at my parents house with our stockings and take a picture. They are full of simple pleasures, (none of these stockings full of cell phones & ipods)notepads, hair ties, candy canes, and of course each one is finished off with a christmas orange. I have always loved opening my stocking and love my mom for putting them together every year, and each year as more and more people join our family, the stairs get more and more crowded, the pictures funnier and funnier to take. It brings a big relaxed smile to my face just thinking about it...sigh.

7.While it's not on the day...it's one of my favourites. We usually sit around our living room together Christmas Eve and sing carols. When I re-read that sentance it sounds like something from some old novel and I love that. Christmas at our house is about remembering what christmas is about: loving each other and celebrating a time of joy...and there is no place i'd rather be on earth.

I think it's worked.
I'm cheered up!

And even looking forward to Christmas!

Now, I'll ruin this good feelind and be off to finish my shopping!

Ha ha!

Merry Christmas!

Poker Face

So last night at the christmas party I was at,

there was...a poker game.

Since I didn't know anyone, I figured I might as well play.

It was fun. Except for one guy.

Mr. I-Know-Everything-Ever-About-Poker.

The guy who brought the cards, the chips,

the green felt, portable poker table.

The guy who didn't come to the party last year

because there was no poker.

Guess who was first out?

Guess who's hand won over his? (Twice!)

Anything else after that didn't matter.

I'd say a pretty good game for my first 'real' poker game.

The Battle Is Won.

A few weeks ago we had a MAJOR infestation of fruit flies.
I am talking swarms.

When we had supper, Don would cover his glass with a cd case to keep them out. (I didnt' mind a little protein! ;)

Before going to bed I would kill some. When I woke up I would kill some. I was a regular killing machine-and pretty good too. All the time I was about murder, killing, smashing, destroying. It was bad. I started to lose my mind a bit.

We tried traps. We tried the vacumm (doesn't work-they just end up in the centra vac room!). We tried letting them settle and spent hours trying to smack them all.

It began to take over our life.

Then the day came.

Our 'first date' anniversary.

We had some dinner.

We had some wine.

(With protective covers, of course).

Our wine was sadly dissapointing.

Why does this 'bad wine' matter?

Because I am going to tell you how to catch upwards of 100 fruitflies.

Fruit flies LOVE fermented fruit.
More exactly-they LOVE wine.

Saran wrap a glass with an inch of wine in it.

Poke a teeny hole in the top.

Pour yourself a glass of wine.

Go to bed.

In the morning dump out your fruit fly filled wine.

Repeat if necessary.

Repeat in the vacumm room.

I haven't seen a single fly in weeks.

Mice on the other hand....